Hi,
We made a start on Cladonia in a newly cleared conifer plantation, which has a lot of old stumps and logs on which these were all growing. This is going to be a steep learning curve for us so any help would be much appreciated. It's over 30 years since I did lichens. I looked at 4 collections:
1) Cladonia fimbriata. Like a tall wine glass, narrow stem, with fine soredia. KOH negative.
2) Cladonia coniocroea. Bent podetia, dominated by the basal squamules. KOH negative.
3) Possible Cladonia squamosa. KOH negative.
4) Unidentified with brown apothecia, KOH positive.

Hi Steve,
first two look good to me.
3rd - it bothers me there are no squamules apparent as C squamosal has lots of them and they usually persist - I suspect this is C polydactyla.
I'll have a think about the last U/K one.........
Cheers
Ken

Unknown - might this be C macilenta or unfingered polydactyla (quite variable) with that K+ reaction, which are poorly developed and with apothecia not turned red yet properly? I have known this showing small brownish or discoloured apothecia before, but develop red shortly - misleading, but that's a while back and my memory may be wrong.................anyway, just a thought as all else seem to fit for those two species I think.
Cheers
Ken

Hi,
Great feedback! Thanks a million. These Cladonias are tricky but there are only so many of 'em.
I've trawled through Dobson a few times and I suspect the third one might be Cladonia chlorophaea, as it's got a lovely powdery sorediate cup inner surface, and apparently can have proliferating growths from the edge of the cup rims (I didn't know that, but I haven't done lichens for 30 years). But I'll check out your suggestions of course. I think we can have a lot of fun with these lichens - they are great to work with, and there's plenty to do, just got to find the time now I've retired
Steve

Steve, I could of course be wrong, but the third - not sure about Chlorophaea - its just very fingery with those proliferations - it can have mini cups from the edges as you say, but this looks far too much and wrong from a general jizz - whilst Polydactyla is very much like this.
It'll be obvious to an experienced Lichenologist - maybe you could fire it off to Steve P?
Where's JennyS when you need her (off skydiving again maybe.....)
Cheers
Ken

Hi Ken,
I assumed the brown ends were apothecia so ruled out C. polydactyla. But I've done microscopy and they look to be pycnidia or something. There's also a dark Hyphomycete infection. Need to do microscopy on brown bits! All the powder is soredia.
Cheers,
Steve